Gemara Clarity

Niddah 64b

נדה ס״ד ע״ב

Learn Niddah 64b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Niddah 64b in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The end of פרק האשה, and the opening of a new פרק on how long a bride's blood is treated as טהור דם בתולים

Overview

The amud opens with the last line of an earlier case: a woman is forbidden on her expected day, because a period usually comes on time. A משנה then compares women's blood of בתולים to grapevines that differ in their wine, and the גמרא explains that a woman's blood is a sign that she can have children. After the הדרן closing פרק האשה, a new פרק begins with a משנה about how long a bride's blood is blamed on the wound of first relations and kept טהור. The answer depends on whether she was too young for periods, had reached the age for them, or had already seen one. The גמרא then explains 'until the wound heals' through רב's sign and שמואל's sign. Next, רב and לוי argue about whether relations during the day use up her four nights, and the גמרא learns from this that first relations are allowed on שבת. רבי חנינא and רבי אסי argue about blood that appears only on a later act of relations. Finally, רב rules on a בוגרת, and a story about רבי begins a challenge to him that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

וְנֶאֱסַר יוֹם עֶשְׂרִים,

And she is forbidden on the twentieth day,

מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאוֹרַח בִּזְמַנּוֹ בָּא.

because the 'way' comes at its time.

מַתְנִי'

Mishnah:

נָשִׁים בִּבְתוּלֵיהֶם כִּגְפָנִים,

Women, in their virginal blood, are like vines:

The steps (34)

  1. ConclusionShe is forbidden on the twentieth day
  2. StatementWomen's virginal blood is like the wine of different vines
  3. Statementרבי יהודה: every vine has wine
  4. StatementWhat 'דורקטי' means
  5. Proofרבי חייא: blood is good for a woman like leaven for dough
  6. Proofרבי מאיר: plenty of blood, plenty of children
  7. ConclusionHadran — Closing פרק האשה
  8. StatementA bride too young to have periods
  9. StatementA bride old enough for periods who has not had one
  10. StatementA bride who already had a period before marriage
  11. StatementThe first case applies even if she saw blood
  12. ProofProof from the end of the משנה
  13. ProofA ברייתא supports רב נחמן בר יצחק
  14. QuestionHow long is 'until the wound heals'?
  15. Responseרב says: as long as she is נוחרת
  16. Statementשמואל gives his own measure
  17. QuestionWhat did רב mean by נחירה?
  18. ResponseSigns that the wound has not healed
  19. ResponseThe sign that the wound has healed
  20. Statementרב and לוי argue about relations during the day
  21. Statementרב and לוי give their rulings
  22. Statementלוי explains 'four nights' as four time-periods
  23. ChallengeWhy does the משנה say 'nights' according to רב?
  24. Resolution'Nights' teaches proper conduct
  25. ChallengeWhy say 'until מוצאי שבת' according to לוי?
  26. ResolutionIt teaches that first relations are allowed on שבת
  27. ProofSupport from שמואל's narrow opening ruling
  28. StatementNo blood the first time, blood the second time
  29. Statementרבי חנינא's reason: real virginal blood would have come at first
  30. Proofרבי אסי's reason: like שמואל, the hymen may tear only later
  31. Rejectionרבי חנינא's answer: שמואל was an unusual case
  32. Statementרב: a grown woman gets the first night only if she saw no blood
  33. ChallengeChallenge from a story: רבי gave a bride four nights within twelve months
  34. QuestionWhat was the case? First option: all four nights while she was a minor